Rabz’ Radio Show August 2022: Dub, Ska and Reggae


Not claiming to be an aficionado of any of these genres, Cats. The ol’ saying, “I don’t know what I like but I do when I hear it” applies here.

Dub – a very idiosyncratic genre. However, there be giants. Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby and the Mad Perfesser, among others. After absolutely loving UB40’s Signing Off and Present Arms as a yoof, to subsequently experience Present Arms in Dub was a somewhat perplexing experience. Dub involving of course, much manipulation of instruments and sounds, in an often seemingly random and discordant fashion. Best enjoyed (presumably) after inhaling a certain ‘erb, Mon.

Ska – In many ways, the precursor of Reggae. Originated in the Caribbean Isle of Jamaica in the sixties, fusing particular musical styles. It experienced its most notable period of popularity courtesy of the 2 Tone record label releases in the hectic New Wave period of music of the late seventies and early eighties. Some of my favourite bands were purveyors of this style, the most notable being the (British) Beat. Yoof subculture fans of Ska back in the day were known as Rude Boys and Girls and tended to dress in mod inspired monochrome fashions.

Reggae – The best known of the three variants, courtesy of a certain Bob Marley. Came to prominence in the aftermath of the Rocksteady style. The term Rocksteady features in one of my favourite Madness tunes. Reggae itself is an immediately recognisable genre, characterised by offbeat rhythms and the use of offsetting staccato chords. Other prominent (and not so prominent) Reggae artists include Jimmy Cliff, Horace Andy (who would later gain a wider audience courtesy of Massive Attack), Keith Hudson, and Desmond Dekker. The Clash and the Police were also influenced by Reggae – see the latter’s album “Reggatta de Blanc”, for example, while two of my other favourite bands are Madness and the Specials, who were exemplars of certain styles identified above.

Now comes the hard part, choosing two songs. Here they are. Please assist to broaden our Reggae horizons by posting your favourite tunes here.

Baggy Trousers

Sea of Love

Honourable mention – BB Seaton, “Thin Line Between Love and Hate”.

Enjoy, Cats!


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Rabz
August 6, 2022 7:06 pm
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 7:18 pm

A reggae anthem!

Goanna
Goanna
August 6, 2022 7:19 pm

Rabz.
Linton Kwesi Johnson “Bass Culture “

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 7:21 pm

Hey that worked!
I’m getting a plague of 500 errors.
The Cat doesn’t like 10 cc.

Rabz
August 6, 2022 7:21 pm

Onya, Bruce, you spiritual Jamaican.

In the meantime, this Anthem remains magnifique …

Goanna
Goanna
August 6, 2022 7:21 pm
Rabz
August 6, 2022 7:23 pm

Goanna – great stuff, Squire. He is awesome.

Bass Culture

Rabz
August 6, 2022 7:24 pm

Snap

Rabz
August 6, 2022 7:29 pm

I confess

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 7:30 pm
Goanna
Goanna
August 6, 2022 7:40 pm

The mighty I Roy with “Tourism Is My Business “

Looking good in a purple suit.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 7:51 pm

Not actually a fan of reggae, although I have a couple of 10 cc LPs floating around somewhere. But very much I like the different rhythm when it gets used in mainstream tracks.

So here’s both…

The Sea – Morcheeba

The Sea – Amazonics (reggae version)

I have to listen to more of the Amazonics. That’s a marvelous cover.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 8:05 pm

Another big reggae influenced bunch is this one:

The Police – So Lonely (1978)

Crossie
Crossie
August 6, 2022 8:13 pm

OK, how about some Eddy Grant.

Crossie
Crossie
August 6, 2022 8:16 pm

I like this Boney M song: Brown Girl In The Ring.

Crossie
Crossie
August 6, 2022 8:19 pm

Does this song qualify?

Rivers of Babylon.

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 8:24 pm

Dub came from reggae. It’s fun to pick the changes in rhythm. Here’s a dub track which went well mainstream:

Portishead – Glory Box (1994)

Tracks from that album like Strangers and Numb are dubbier. Much more spiky than reggae but the rhythmic relationship is clear as crystal.

Crossie
Crossie
August 6, 2022 8:26 pm

TheSpecials – A Message To You Rudy.

P
P
August 6, 2022 8:29 pm
Crossie
Crossie
August 6, 2022 8:29 pm

Even Sandie Shaw gave it a go – Make It Go.

eric hinton
eric hinton
August 6, 2022 8:30 pm

Um. This is test. If it doesn’t link can someone step me through how it’s done.

(flute reggae fusion from early seventies)

jupes
jupes
August 6, 2022 8:36 pm

The Clash and the Police were also influenced by Reggae

Yeah, a strange partnership, punk and reggae. Perhaps they both were playing to the same target audience. The Clash played various genres on their third album, London Calling, but they were playing reggae from the beginning. Here’s the Clash from their first album:

Police and Thieves.

Crossie
Crossie
August 6, 2022 8:39 pm

Eric, link works fine.

P
P
August 6, 2022 8:40 pm
eric hinton
eric hinton
August 6, 2022 8:40 pm

The Pioneers

Rabz
August 6, 2022 8:41 pm

The definitive Portishead track – All Mine

jupes
jupes
August 6, 2022 8:42 pm

Jimmy Cliff – I Can See Clearly Now

Johnny Nash: the original and the best

eric hinton
eric hinton
August 6, 2022 8:44 pm
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 8:46 pm

flute reggae fusion

That was cool! Like if Bob Marley did a track with Jethro Tull.

jupes
jupes
August 6, 2022 8:48 pm

UB 40 turned this Neil Diamond song into a reggae hit. Neil liked it so much, that when he played the Hunter Valley a few years ago (2017?), he played the UB 40 version.

Red Red Wine

jupes
jupes
August 6, 2022 8:49 pm

Like if Bob Marley did a track with Jethro Tull.

Saw both of them in the ’70s.

Rabz
August 6, 2022 8:55 pm

Here’s the Clash, just being awesome (again) …

Trigger Warning: Not Reggae, or anything remotely resembling it

P
P
August 6, 2022 9:06 pm
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 9:07 pm

The YT sidebar throws up some excellent stuff from time to time.
Here’s a young Aussie lady doing reggae. Rather good.

Tash Sultana – Jungle (2016)

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
August 6, 2022 9:07 pm

Oi you picked the theme Rabz, stay on subject!
This is a cool bit of rocksteady soul- Marcia Griffiths.
I do like the reggae-dub cyclical composition, rolling on and off the minor VIth and whatever the damn hell it is, go ask Rick Beato

Rabz
August 6, 2022 9:10 pm

Do not move, peoples

Wow – what a track. A not in any way discordant symphony. 🙂

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 9:17 pm

Some more dub, this time from Lamb.

Lamb – Butterfly Effect (2012)

Rabz
August 6, 2022 9:18 pm

Bruce – Tash Sultana is a very talented young personage.

The song is just pure blues, 3:00am on a Sunday morning in the Cross …

thefrollickingmole
thefrollickingmole
August 6, 2022 9:18 pm

Good old movie which is as rough as guts but a real slice of Jamaica

Jimmy Cliff
The harder they come.
Whole movie is on YouTube

Stupid phone won’t paste links

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 9:24 pm

Rabz – That’s fun. Listening to the first 20 seconds of Don’t Move is creepily like the first 20 seconds of Butterfly Effect. Really interesting the parallels.

Rabz
August 6, 2022 9:32 pm

Bruce – it’s just an awesome musical genre

Rabz
August 6, 2022 9:38 pm
MatrixTransform
MatrixTransform
August 6, 2022 9:47 pm
Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 9:51 pm

Rabz – I’ve a couple of Massive Attack albums somewhere, which I should listen to again. Marvelous stuff. Especially like Karmacoma for some reason I have no understanding of. Very dubbish.

Massive Attack – Karmacoma (1995)

Karmacoma, jamaica’ aroma…

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 9:58 pm

MT – The Specials are excellent. Got to put up their biggest one:

The Specials – Ghost Town (1981)

Bigly reggae dub.

Dragnet
Dragnet
August 6, 2022 10:02 pm

D Trojan Records back catalogue is d go to for I and I

Dragnet
Dragnet
August 6, 2022 10:05 pm

54 46 Is My Number

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
August 6, 2022 10:25 pm

Bit of Primal Scream can be jammed in anywhere…
Get Duffy, from the magisterial Vanishing Point

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
August 6, 2022 10:30 pm

Man, that’s opened my eyes Bruce. I thought that Lamb were a one-hit wonder off a remix of B-Line, and were toomuch soundalike to Beth Gibbons

Bruce of Newcastle
Bruce of Newcastle
August 6, 2022 10:43 pm

Bruce. I thought that Lamb were a one-hit wonder

They’re an interesting pair. Just been checking out their channel myself, and found this nice solo effort from Lou, who is the lady Lamb.

LOU RHODES – The Rain (2007)

Much more mainstream than their usual stuff. Catchy.

Crossie
Crossie
August 6, 2022 10:54 pm

MT, that’s the theme to Death In Paradise. Love it.

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
August 6, 2022 11:59 pm

Am I really the only one still able to focus on the keys? It’s not even midnight over east yet…
Uptown Top Ranking

Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
August 7, 2022 12:01 am
Wally Dalí
Wally Dalí
August 7, 2022 12:21 am
Az
Az
August 7, 2022 1:20 am

This music is rubbish. I hate all of it.

billie
billie
August 7, 2022 4:15 am

The Clash and Mikey Dread

billie
billie
August 7, 2022 4:22 am
eric hinton
eric hinton
August 7, 2022 8:40 am

Sunday morning coming down


dilly dally

johanna
johanna
August 7, 2022 9:29 am

Missed the show – was out and about last night.

But here’s a belated contribution – Fade Away by the New Age Steppers.

Rabz
August 7, 2022 4:49 pm

This music is rubbish. I hate all of it.

Gee, thanks for that positive contribution, you irredeemable imbecile.

  1. When all the CA votes are counted, the total vote count will be roughly similar to 2020.Kamal-toe sits on about…

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